66 Reasons NOT To Become a Professional Photographer

The Business of Photography in 1 Book

It’s like asking: “What can you tell me about working as a photographer? ”

DON’T SHOOT| 66 Reasons NOT to Become a Professional Photographer is a humorous look at the very serious commercial photography business written by a pro photographer with over 20 years of experience. After teaching workshops, mentoring university students, and advising interns, assistants, and newbies, Schafer decided to cram an informal chat in between the covers of a funny book about the business. It’s a bit like having coffee with a mentor… and it has its fair share of tough lessons, stupid mistakes, cautionary tales, and hard-won advice.

The book is chock full of relevant quotes by famous photographers, and stories about the process of establishing a business in an era when everyone has a camera. Written for those contemplating a photo-based career, DON’T SHOOT is a brutal (and funny) look at all the twiddly bits that go into succeeding as a photographer. The book covers relationships, ethics, gear, contracts, branding, copyrights, working for free, getting paid, perseverance, portfolios, style, critiques and what to expect from galleries, schools, spouses, clients, assistants, workshops and more…

If you’ve already gotten photo tips from jet-setting superstars and just want to hear from someone who quit his day job and now makes pictures for a living, full-time, this is the book. You’ve never heard of Dirk Schafer because he’s one of tens of thousands of pros in the world that wake up every day and get paid to take the pictures you see in ads, brochures, books, and magazines. He’s made mistakes, traveled the world, lost clients, bought a house, done reshoots and heard “the check’s in the mail” more times then he cares to remember, but he keeps doing it and keeps loving it. This book is the down-to-earth reality-show of how hard, rewarding, and funny life as a professional photographer can be.

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WHAT IS KICKSTARTER?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform.

This means it’s a place where creative people seek funding from the online crowd for their ideas and products to avoid seeking venture capital, investors or loans. Creatives present their concepts online and offer rewards – like my book – for pledges of support. If the crowd is receptive they can each invest a little or a lot. Kickstarter has an all-or-nothing funding model so if the creative gets 99% or less of their goal in pledges, the project fails and the supporters are not charged, no book. But if the creator gets 100% or more support for their project, the supporters’ pledges are charged to their credit cards at the end of the fund drive – late October for Don’t Shoot – and the creative completes their project and sends out rewards to their supporters.